Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Santa Ana

Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 35 minutes via I-5 North, usually 35 at this time.

Only 53% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from San Clemente to Santa Ana by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	28	29	34	31	30	32	33	34	34	34	34	35	33	32	29	27
Tue	27	28	30	34	33	32	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	34	33	29	28
Wed	27	28	30	33	33	33	34	34	34	33	35	35	35	35	33	30	28
Thu	27	28	30	33	33	32	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	34	33	31	28
Fri	27	28	29	31	30	32	33	33	35	35	37	36	36	34	32	30	28
Sat	27	27	28	28	28	32	34	37	37	36	36	35	35	33	33	31	27
Sun	27	27	28	28	28	29	32	32	34	35	37	37	37	35	34	30	28

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from San Clemente to Santa Ana (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 37 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (38 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (2 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Clemente to central Santa Ana along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from San Clemente to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 37 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to Santa Ana?

The 31-mile drive usually takes 27 to 37 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 37 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (29 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Ana to San Clemente (return trip) · San Clemente to Los Angeles · San Clemente to San Diego · San Clemente to Santa Monica · San Clemente to Long Beach · San Clemente to Anaheim · San Clemente to Riverside · San Clemente to Chula Vista

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	28	29	34	31	30	32	33	34	34	34	34	35	33	32	29	27
Tue	27	28	30	34	33	32	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	34	33	29	28
Wed	27	28	30	33	33	33	34	34	34	33	35	35	35	35	33	30	28
Thu	27	28	30	33	33	32	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	34	33	31	28
Fri	27	28	29	31	30	32	33	33	35	35	37	36	36	34	32	30	28
Sat	27	27	28	28	28	32	34	37	37	36	36	35	35	33	33	31	27
Sun	27	27	28	28	28	29	32	32	34	35	37	37	37	35	34	30	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	28	29	34	31	30	32	33	34	34	34	34	35	33	32	29	27
Tue	27	28	30	34	33	32	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	34	33	29	28
Wed	27	28	30	33	33	33	34	34	34	33	35	35	35	35	33	30	28
Thu	27	28	30	33	33	32	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	34	33	31	28
Fri	27	28	29	31	30	32	33	33	35	35	37	36	36	34	32	30	28
Sat	27	27	28	28	28	32	34	37	37	36	36	35	35	33	33	31	27
Sun	27	27	28	28	28	29	32	32	34	35	37	37	37	35	34	30	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	28	29	34	31	30	32	33	34	34	34	34	35	33	32	29	27
Tue	27	28	30	34	33	32	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	34	33	29	28
Wed	27	28	30	33	33	33	34	34	34	33	35	35	35	35	33	30	28
Thu	27	28	30	33	33	32	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	34	33	31	28
Fri	27	28	29	31	30	32	33	33	35	35	37	36	36	34	32	30	28
Sat	27	27	28	28	28	32	34	37	37	36	36	35	35	33	33	31	27
Sun	27	27	28	28	28	29	32	32	34	35	37	37	37	35	34	30	28